Why Women Undervalue ourselves and How to Fix it by Bethany Williams

Why Women Undervalue ourselves and How to Fix it by Bethany Williams

3 Days to a Raise Interview with Suzanne Reid, CEO of Reid Design Partners

There is a very good chance that you are undervaluing yourself. There are high odds that you have not applied for a position that you should be applying for, that you are undervaluing your pay, and/or that you haven’t asked for a raise even though you deserve it. We as women often undervalue ourselves in our personal relationships as well. Doing that causes us disastrous results. You may be experiencing disastrous results in your pay and your work life as a result.

“Three points will help you to dig your way out of this hole that you find yourselves in. If you can understand and work towards fixing these things, your journey becomes easier and your pay will increase; doubt creates undervalue-fixing your opinion of yourself will increase other’s opinion of you and that will result in them valuing you more. Knowledge is power- more knowledge equals better results and better results creates higher pay. Cut yourself some slack on your mistakes and mis-steps. This will increase your value and get you more pay,” says Bethany Williams, Host of 3 Days to a Raise.

Start by fixing your opinion of yourself. When you are at the negotiation table, the leaders surrounding you can smell your fear. They can sense the blood in the water and they can tell that you have doubts about your capabilities and strengths. Those self-doubts are costing you jobs, pay increases, and opportunities and may even be costing you that great relationship. Create a new found confidence.

Increasing your knowledge and learning from others that have walked a successful path will lead to more success for you. Knowledge is power, and knowing how others have negotiated for pay raises and secured high level positions will help you to get there. Use keys from their journey and follow ideas that they encountered on their path.

Cut yourself some slack. You remember every mistake that you’ve ever made and it is playing on a movie reel in your head. You focus your mindset and attention on your mistakes rather than your successes. Switch this around 180 degrees. Focus all your attention on what you do well. Re-run your successes in your mind. Write them down. Post them on your desk. Create an annual report that advertises what you did last year. Keep copies of these annual success novels that you create. Share them with new bosses and new job prospects.

Suzanne Reid, CEO of Reid Design Partners had stayed at home for 15 years raising kids after a very successful career as CEO, and decided to re-enter the workforce once the children were grown. When deciding to re-enter the workforce, Suzanne faced doubts of her own, “I wasn’t sure that I would be accepted back into the workforce. I was a lot younger when I was in business before. I wasn’t sure if I could compete in the market the way it is today and I was letting doubt and fear overpower me.” Suzanne re-entered the workforce, started her own design and graphics firm and within 2 years has grown a burgeoning business. She now employs staff that aids her on her journey and has been able to make considerable impacts of businesses that hires her firm to do websites and social media.

She found her confidence and has a growing list of customers. Now her biggest challenge is finding qualified staff to come abroad to her company and help her grow.

Suzanne said, “My mom has always been a big supporter of me. She said, If I did it once, I’d be able to do it again and she was right.” It is amazing that others seem to find the confidence and see our capabilities and strengths even when we cannot. We see our weaknesses as women, and we see fear and doubt that keeps us from moving forward. We immobilize ourself with fear and we let it keep us in a quicksand like stance, with our feet stuck in the ground.

Suzanne discovered that her strengths were still very valuable in the workforce. She found that her skill sets, combined with an ability to learn all the new tools and techniques made starting her company possible. Suzanne’s advice is, “Go for it. Just do it. Don’t just hang out a shingle. Stay educated and prepare for it. Stay current and understand what your competition is doing. Find out where the parade is and run like hell to get in front of it.”

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About The Author

Whatever It Takes NetworkGrant Cardone is an American entrepreneur, New York Times best selling author, speaker and motivator. Cardone is a respected, highly regarded master salesperson whose passion is to teach people how to sell themselves, their products and services regardless of economic climate. His books, audio packages and seminars provide people of all professional backgrounds with the practical tools necessary to build their own economies towards the path to true freedom.